Remain by Bearing Fruit Under the Father S Care Vs. 1-8

WWW.MEN-SHARPEN-MEN.ORG 5-13-11

John 15.1-17 (NIV)

Remain by Bearing Fruit Under the Father’s Care Vs. 1-8

The Vine and the Branches

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

1. What various relationships do you see in these first few verses?

2. If the gardener’s (i.e. the Father’s) goal in these relationships is vine-fruitfulness, how does he seek to achieve this?

3. How does this pruning metaphor translate into the Father’s interaction with a Christian disciple? What kind of pruning experiences have you had? How have you responded to the Father’s loving, yet difficult, correction?

4. How does Jesus explain how to abide in Him (vs. 7, 10)? How can you tell if you are abiding in Christ? Why do you think Jesus gives such a carte blanche promise to those who do remain in him in vs. 7-8?

(Used with permission from God@Work. Study completed by Rick Thatcher.)